The Roundup

Canucks shake things up, pay too much for Sutter, Leafs-Bernier Arb battle, breaking down Lamoriello’s past trades, one of the Flames top prospects coming to North America, McDavid, Scrivens, free agents still available for almost free and more in this week’s Roundup.

In the Roundup we go around the Nation Network and give you some of the best articles of the last couple weeks. Every once in a while it’s good to know what other teams are doing, or maybe you find an interesting article you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

1) reality, the one where actual people play and watch
2) a made up version of hockey that is full of useless historical statistics and numbers recording past success that has no direct impact on the actual game itself other than the impact it has on people sitting in front of their computers all night thinking they are the next Moneyball….

This universe actually. Theres no question Sutter is a better player despite what the analytics say. I defer to Ray Ferraro on this topic. He says analytics are important, but only part of the tale. Bonino was decent in the regular season and cheap. But he was slow, easily pushed off the puck, and his line was terribly exposed to the Flames speed in the playoffs. He was a black hole in faceoffs and got smacked around by the bigger west coast centers. Sutter may be overpaid and not be a statistic darling, but he’s a positive face off man, can skate and isn’t pushed off the puck in the playoffs. He outscored Bonino too. Do you really see Bones as a second line center? A third liner? He doesn’t fit any of those molds. Sutter is an upgrade. Whether it cost too much is another story. But Sutter is unquestionably an upgrade at center for this team.

These “roundup” articles are cross-posted across all nations sites. As such, comments show up from posters across the nation network. Considering the fact that Oilersnation has by far the largest readership, followed by Flamesnation, you’re going to end up with many, many Flames and Oilers fans, or “Albertans” (if that’s easier for you).

Frankly, the numbers don’t flesh out that Sutter was “coveted”, nor do they show that he’s all that much of an upgrade (if at all) on Bonino (especially given the salary). If you want reasonable discourse (in this particular forum) on the Cancuks, we would all be happy to oblige (no trolling). However, you’re going to have to come to grips with the fact that any conversation has to start with the fact that the Canucks have thus far had the worst offseason of any Canadian team (perhaps closely followed by Toronto–I mean, Lou, really?). Them’s the facts (no trolling).

Maybe I should have made myself clearer, I wasn’t referring to Roundup in particular. I was referring to CA in general. Worst off season? Rebuilds are never pretty but I’m sure you are aware of that. Lou?? Get up to date.

Oh, I know very well that “rebuilds” are tough sledding. Even worse though, is when your organization keeps clinging to an ageing core while thinking that infusing mediocre young “talent” can right the ship (yes, I’m a Flames fan, and yes, I see numerous similarities between where the Canucks are now, and where the Flames were about 5 to 6 years ago).

I hate all things flames (largely due to the godd@mn playoff successes your team has had against the canucks.and you’re a Canadian division rival that has been close in the standings much of the time I’ve been a hockey fan) so I’m not up on ownership there. Were they as much of a pain in the @ss as the aqualinis are turning out to be? Was the rebuild on the fly thing an ownership thing desperate to make the playoffs at all cost? Because thats what is happening here and its infuriating to watch. I dont hate the Sutter trade as much as I first did largely because of the draft pick proximity to each other, but all other moves by Benning look like he’s drunk on Alberta premium boat gas gin

Were they as much of a pain in the @ss as the aqualinis are turning out to be? Was the rebuild on the fly thing an ownership thing desperate to make the playoffs at all cost?

Yes, and yes. I mean, that’s always going to be ownership’s prerogative though, right? Clutch to your marketable assets for as long as you can (the Sedins [or Iginla and Kipprusoff, in the Flames case]) and try to maximize the existing core, because you have no idea how long it might take to build a new one.

Truth is, a lot of what Benning’s done strikes me as being very similar to what Feaster did his first year or two in Calgary. He tried to keep the ship afloat by “rebuilding on the fly”, regardless of how he really wanted to approach the organization (rumours were he wanted to tear it all down very early on, but upper-management and ownership wouldn’t let him).

The key is acquiring some young players through trades and the draft, so that when you finally do crater, you’ve mitigated everything as much as possible. Those moves however, are not popular. And like Benning currently, Feaster quickly became the whipping boy for everything that was wrong with the organization. Now that he’s gone, people are a lot more willing to accept the good.

What is with you smug Albertans. $48 oil is in line with your playoff appearances and talent showings for the last decade in the NHL.
2013-14-THE TWO WORST TEAMS IN THE WEST
2012-13-BOTTOM FOUR IN THE WEST
2011-12-Coilers second to last in the West while the Flames flicker and do not make the playoffs.
2010-11-Coilers are LAST while the flame is out of the playoff fire.
2009-10-Coilers LAST in the NHL. No playoffs for Cowtown fanatics.
No wonder you have loaded up with talent. You have sucked so successfully for so long you think it is normal operating procedure.
Meanwhile,the Canucks have finished atop the West and the entire NHL in all but the last two seasons and only missed the playoffs ONCE in memory.
So,while the Canucks simultaneously compete and rebuild you can see all the similiarities you want but the Albertan showing has one playoff win between the two teams for as long as memory serves me.
That has the rancid smell of tank province-Alberta

I think you misunderstand what I’m saying. You just see something that isn’t glowingly reverent of the “Canucks’ dynasty” that was the last 10 years, and your eyes glaze over red. Frothing at the mouth, you start smashing the keyboard, throwing staplers, and yelling obscenities until your boss(es) have to restrain you from breaking any more office property.

But, that’s cool. Your time in the league’s ass-crack in only beginning–you’ve really just crested the left cheek–and much like the Flames 5 years ago, and the Oilers 9 years ago, everyone else knows it’s coming.

“But, that’s cool. Your time in the league’s ass-crack is only beginning–you’ve really just crested the left cheek–and much like the Flames 5 years ago, and the Oilers 9 years ago, everyone else knows it’s coming.”

That ass crack of yours has proprietary rights in Alberta.Give you guys one playoff series win in a decade and you are all on Seventh Avenue celebrating like a Stanley Cup win.Checking the standings last year the Coil stunk up the league while the Flame finally flickered into the off season only to be decimated every game but one by those Ducks. Nothing to puff up yourchests about but everyone snickers behind your backs,your being in loser land so long.

What has the world come to when canuck fans use history to support an argument? That’s funny, history tells me the oilers have won 5 league championships, multiple president trophies, division and conference championships and set countless records that likely will never be broken. Vancouver is one of the truly laughable sad sack franchises in all of sports never mind the nhl. Fans from your fan base ought never comment on the futility of any organization in any sport anywhere on this planet. Lest of all using”history” to support their argument. The Canucks have zero history, and a somewhat bleak future, given some of their head scratching moves over the last few years. Both things the oilers have in spades. Find a rock with acanucks logo on it and hide under it because things are gonna get real ugly for you…given the team you support and your hate on for the oilers.

REALITY here is banners and rings but You’re right, talking about winning NEVER gets old. The other reality here is for fans of the canuts. Your history is Halloween colored jerseys, failure, and rioting. Also a bleak future. Which would you r ather tell everyone about?

As a Canucks fan I have been able to sit back and watch the rebuild in Calgary verses Edmonton with no attachment. We all thought that Calgary should have just blown it up like Edmonton did.

Now I think that the Oilers didn’t blow it up they just miss managed things so badly that the team just died. Here is to hoping that the new group in Edmonton get it together.

Rebuilds are always a little messy and things can look disorganized as they slowly work over their roster. I look forward to a time when all of the west teams become relevant and we can be hating each other for the right reasons.

I believe Sutter is a slightly better player than Bonino. And an even better fit for the Canucks than the Hartford-native. But I also feel given their respective salaries, picks and young d-man involved, the Canucks didn’t get fair value. Great that they improved (arguably) their personnel, but not great asset management.

I don’t know how having this opinion automatically implies I’m from Alberta, or a troller, or both, but thanks for the brushstrokes! Maybe you can answer this question though; I spent the first 11 years of my life in Alberta, but the last 21 in Ontario. Does this mean I’m only one-third troll (and two-thirds unfortunate)?

I think I’m actually pretty optimistic about McDavid, and while I think it will take a few years to round out his defensive game, I think he could immediately step into a position in the top-30 in the NHL for offensive numbers.

This is how I see the Sutter trade: Bonino is a better second line center than Sutter, but Sutter is a better third line center than Bonino. With this move the Canucks get one of the better third line centers in the league and make room for Horvat to step into the second line center role. I doubt that Clendening will ever develop into more than a third pairing power play specialist, and the Canucks do have some good defensive prospects in the system contrary to what some people are saying. Anaheim’s second round pick will be quite late in the round, even though Pittsburgh’s third probably will be too, so it’s not so bad. Overall I would say that Pittsburgh won the trade, but not by too much. Remember even though Jim Benning might not be as good at his job as Jim Rutherford, but he is still much better at his job than any of us.

Nations Network, hear my plea: ignore Canucks fans coming here from CA, as most of them are weird homers who think everything is fine in Canuckland.

I won’t lie, I’ve enjoyed watching the Sedins run over the Oilers for close to the last decade, but that time is coming to an end, and so many stupid Canucks fans just sit around on CanucksArmy articles commenting “why are you so negative?” and other bull-hooey.

Just ignore the majority of the Canucks fans who come here, they’re mostly stupid.